


Slim Chances

by ghibliterritory



Category: American Horror Story: Coven
Genre: A somewhat positive ending that they DESERVE, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Kyle Lives
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-03
Updated: 2018-10-03
Packaged: 2019-07-24 18:02:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16180334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ghibliterritory/pseuds/ghibliterritory
Summary: She had no clue what she was expecting. Kyle alive or dead. It was her hope that she would see his blond curls and soft face lying there, safe from the fire that she had let happen. But her unwavering pessimism shouted to her that it wouldn't be him- it would be two horrible people laying in agony over their mistakes and the pain it caused.





	Slim Chances

Her footsteps echoed in the blinding white hallways. Loud and obvious, but disguised to her own ears by her even louder and clearer heartbeats. They fluttered and pounded, echoing in her skull and making her brain rattle around. She wished she could ignore them, but fear made them stay heard as Zoe made her way through the paths of death to the room. 303. It housed the only two survivors of the KLG bus crash. The one she felt she had some part in causing. The one with Kyle on it.

 

Zoe hadn't meant for this. She wanted to hurt those assholes from the party, sure, but death... it hit her like a hot knife to her gut just what that meant, what she had done. It was worse when she remembered that Kyle had chased every rapist pig onto it, sealing them all to a burning fate. Zoe had done research, but no answers on who survived had made it out. No one would say anything. When Fiona led them all out to explore their origins and history in New Orleans, and the groups all split to follow their own intuition, she felt a fire in her gut that pulled her away to the hospital. She didn't even register her actions until she was right there. The arrival, asking for the number, smiling at the nurse so sadly that she felt it in her chest- it all felt blurred and unreal. Then she came back to reality as she stood outside of the door. Her footsteps faded into whispers now, but her heartbeat was still just as sharp and piercing in her brain.

 

She had no clue what she was expecting. Kyle alive or dead. It was her hope that she would see his blond curls and soft face lying there, safe from the fire that she had let happen. But her unwavering pessimism shouted to her that it wouldn't be him- it would be two horrible people laying in agony over their mistakes and the pain it caused. Her breath hitched. Pale fingers lingered over the metal door handle and she could feel every heartbeat get louder and faster. Fear racked her soul.

 

Jesus, Zoe, get a fucking grip.

 

She pushed open the door. Up front was the asshole she saw Kyle try to grab on the way out of the room with Madison. She sneered at him, but didn't worry about it now. There was a curtain hiding the next bed. Her stomach churned. Zoe stepped forward quietly, clenching her fists.

 

"Please, please.." She whispered to no one. She saw the bed, legs and hands coming into her vision, and she turned the corner.

 

He laid out on the white, encased bed like a corpse. His skin was pale and a little bruised by his face- a scar ran under his left eye. His hair hid most of his face like rings of gold. Zoe's heart fluttered, and she let out a sigh that had fought to be a sob. He was alive.

 

Kyle had made it, by some miracle.

 

She went to his side and grabbed a chair that sat by the window, pulling it up. He was motionless, peaceful in his sleep. The steady beat of his monitor drowned out her frantic heart. It calmed the sound. It calmed everything. She reached out to take one of his hands- while his stayed limp, she curled her fingers tightly around his palm. She had never held his hand before, but it felt so right. So perfectly fit to her own slim fingers. She pulled it towards her face, gently stroking the back of his hand and breathing warmth onto his knuckles. She never did that with Charlie.

 

She never had to.

 

"Kyle," She spoke into his skin, eyes closed tight. "Kyle, it's me, Zoe. Wake up."

 

There was steady silence, beeps and muffled outside chatter, keeping her tense. She stared at his face and waited, breathing on his knuckles again.

 

His nose twitched. His eyebrows shifted and raised. She felt his fingers curl around her own, and she opened her eyes when he opened his. He blinked in confusion and tried to remember what had happened, then he turned to the girl beside him and it hit like a brick.

 

"Zoe.." His voice was frail. It punched her in the face with guilt. His eyes got sad. "The bus.. I didn't... How many of them are dead?" He asked. Zoe bit her lip, and sucked in a breath. "Only two of you got out." It was the worst thing to tell someone, and the way his face broke and the tears started to line his bottom eyelid made it worse. He sat up, not letting her hand go as he registered it. The party, the perfect girl, the chase and the fire. His free hand went to his mouth, protecting him from the embarrassing way his mouth hung open as tears fell down his face. Zoe felt her lip quiver, and she let his hand go to hold him. He latched onto her like a child to his mother, sobbing into her shoulder.

 

They stayed this way for a while, crying together. It was odd. They met not even a whole day before, but they felt drawn together. They felt comfortable with the other by their side. More comfortable than they had been in a while, or would be for a while. When the tears had dried, they didn't let go automatically, and even then, they still stayed right beside each other. They talked and bonded for what felt like hours, forgetting their pains and learning to smile despite the overhanging cloud of guilt on both parts. Kyle learned about Charlie. Zoe learned about his plans for the future. And when she felt the darkness of the day settling in, Zoe stood.

 

"I should get going." She told him. "They might call the cops if I'm not back before dinner." Kyle smiled up at her, grabbing her hand one last time. "Would you wanna visit tomorrow? Or, just whenever you can? Or, not at all, that's totally you're call and I'm not gonna force you-" He was interrupted by a soft kiss to his temple, and the smell of violets lingered as Zoe pulled back from his face. "I'll be here. Get some sleep."

 

So, with that knowledge, Kyle settled into sleep, and Zoe started to stomp her way out of the room, only stopping to stare at the other survivor. Zoe tried to ignore the rage swirling up in her chest. He wasn't worth it. He wasn't worth it.

 

Yes he was. He hurt Madison- he destroyed a life. She didn't like Madison much- she was a brat. But no one deserved what she got. Zoe stepped over to them, wondering what to do. She wouldn't use her... "gift". That was a disgusting thing, even if it would be painfully ironic. She looked at a rack of pillows behind his bed, and took a breath. She shut the door quietly, then grabbed a pillow and used his IV chords to keep his hands to the bed.

 

He didn't scream. He at least didn't get a chance to. Zoe put the pillow back and untied him before she left, feeling nothing. Maybe she'd felt bad about killing people before- even when she didn't actually have much to do with it. But this was different. This was raw and uncut anger and the thought that he was the reason for all this that kept her from the guilt of his death. She left the hospital, lighting a cigarette in the muggy New Orleans air. She exhaled smoked.


End file.
